Van Zellers Douro VZ Red 2021 – Wine Watch Pick for Best Portuguese Non Fortified Red Wine for 2024
“Sometimes it would be nice to just have some red wine with dinner, but it’s not worth the risk. I have a great life, a great situation. Why would I want to risk self-destructive behavior?”
Kristin Davis
If wine with dinner is destructive then I am a wrecking ball!!
I just got back from my second trip to Portugal in the last five years and if it were not for the pandemic I may have been back sooner as our first visit in 2019 was so amazing and educational. I am still not as familiar as I would like to be with the wines of Portugal and that’s why after this last visit, I decided to dedicate more time tasting wines from this very diverse wine producing nation.
Everyone knows the fortified wines of Oporto, they were made famous by the British as they needed to be fortification to make the journey at that time in cask to England. This fortification allowed Port wine to travel the world over, therefore making them some of the most famous wines of their time.
I am very familiar with Port and on this visit to Oporto we really did not have any plans to visit any of the big port houses located in Villa Nova de Gaia as we did almost all of them on our visit in 2019. Our friends we were travelling with had a connection to one of the oldest port families and arranged a visit to Cristiano Van Zellers home in Oporto to try some 150+ year old wines.
Of course, this piqued my interest but how could I have never heard of the Van Zeller name? They had been in the port business since 1620, Cristiano is the 14th generation of his family to be in this trade. I have been a port lover for 30+ years and although I know many of the port brands that his family have been associated with over the years we have never crossed paths until this visit. This is just another example of why travelling to wine country all over the world is so important.
Christiano and his wife Joana hosted us for an amazing “Once in a Lifetime” tasting in their home in Oporto. I was amazed by the fortified wines going back to the 1860 vintage but the unforitifed dry Reds were also amazing and among some of the top reds that I have tasted in 2024 from anywhere. The Van Zellers were incredible hosts and Christiano even agreed to be in a picture with me with the wrong football jersey, red is the color of the rival team from Lisbon.
Wine Watch’s Pick for Best Unfortified Portuguese Red of 2024
2021 Van Zellers VZ Tinto, Douro, Portugal
Price: $35.50 Sale $31.24
WINE WATCH TASTING NOTES: Van Zellers & Co VZ Douro Red 2021 is a wine Crafted by Hand, where the blend of different grapes and vineyards from three main valleys: Torto, Pinhao and Douro. This unique blend of 30 different indigenous Portuguese varietals creates a distinct wine that has an abundance of red fruit aromas; plum, cherries, currants and raspberry with sweet herbs and fresh plowed earth mineral notes. On the palate this wine is full-bodied, round and has a long layered finish held together by a firm hand of acidity. Very youthful today and needs a bit of time in the decanter to be fully appreciated and will reward you with a few years in the cellar. Finish 45+ TASTING DATE 6/25/24. EXCELLENT +
The Fortified Wines from Van Zellers
VAN ZELLERS & CO. 10 YEARS OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $52.50 Your Price: $46.20 Quantity in Stock: 5
A blend of old Ports with an average age of 10 years and aged in old wooden casks. Aged in very old wooden casks, this exquisite Port is bottled on-demand, allowing it to continue to age and become more complex through its natural evolution with time. With complex notes of dry fruits and wild berries, this Port offers hints of orange peel and creamy toffee.
VAN ZELLERS & CO. 20 YEARS OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL
List Price: $102.00 Your Price: $89.76
A blend of more than 30 different traditional Douro red grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the rio Torto and the Pinhão valleys.
20 Years Old Tawny Port is a blend of old Ports with an average age of 20 years, aged in very old wooden casks. Van Zellers & Co. 20 Years Old Tawny Port is bottled on demand, making it possible for all to enjoy this beautiful Port over many years, sharing with us their natural evolution throughout time. Spicy and nutty with orange flower aromas, figgy ripeness and silky honey finish. Serve slightly chilled.
VAN ZELLERS & CO. 30 YEARS OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $142.50 Sale $125.40
A blend of more than 30 different traditional Douro red grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the rio Torto and the Pinhão valleys.
30 Years Very Old Tawny Port is a blend of old Ports with an average age of 30 years, aged in very old wooden casks. Van Zellers & Co. 30 Years Very Old Tawny Port is bottled on demand, making it possible for all to enjoy this beautiful Port over many years, sharing with us their natural evolution throughout time. Exotic layers of honeyed fruit, spices, dried apricots and nuts, are lush, silky and seductive. Serve slightly chilled.
VAN ZELLERS & CO. 40 YEARS OLD TAWNY PORT, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $189.00 Sale $166.32
A blend of more than 30 different traditional Douro red grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the rio Torto and the Pinhão valleys.
Over 40 Years Very Old Tawny Port is a blend of old Ports with an average age of over 40 years, aged in very old wooden casks. Van Zellers & Co. Over 40 Years Very Old Tawny Port is bottled on demand, making it possible for all to enjoy this beautiful Port over many years, sharing with us their natural evolution throughout time. Powerful fragrance, delicate fruit and raisins, toasted toffee and chocolate, a touch of spice, rich, intense, voluptuous. Serve slightly chilled.
NV Van Zellers White Port
Price: $19.50 Your Price: $15.60
GRAPE VARIETIES: A blend of more than 15 different traditional Douro White grape varieties, from old vines and more recent single variety vineyards located in the Cima Corgo, mainly in the Murça District.
TASTING NOTES: Van Zellers & Co. White Port has a creamy and delicate sweet taste, issued from traditional and indigenous white grapes of the Douro region and is carefully aged in old wooden casks for a minimum of two years until blended and bottled at its premium. Ideal as an aperitif or as a long drink. Serve chilled.
2019 VAN ZELLERS & CO. Late Bottled Vintage Port
Price: $ 37.50 Sale $33.00
More than 25 different traditional Douro grape varieties, predominately Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, but also Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca, Sousão
Van Zellers & Co. LBV Ports are produced with traditional and indigenous hand-picked red grapes grown in different sub-regions of the Douro. Bottled without any fining or filtration, Van Zellers & Co. 2016 LBV Port is a traditional unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage, very deep ruby in colour, floral nose, dark cherries, cassis, raspberries, cedar spice, velvety tannins. Elegant and smooth, Van Zellers & Co. LBV Port has a great balance and finesse and a very long and fruity finish. Perfect to pair with chocolate desserts and cheeses, to be enjoyed slowly during dinner with friends. Serve at 16oC.
We tasted through the entire line-up of Colheita ports going all the way back to 1860. This was the most impressive line-up of tawny ports that I have ever tasted at one time. These are very limited wines and they only release a few bottles of each of the really old wines every year.
These are some of the oldest wines available anywhere in the world and we have placed an order for all these old vintages and the wines will be arriving in the fall. Including the three oldest wines, 1860, 1870 and 1888 which come in a three bottle set and a beautiful presentation box along with a crystal decanter for $24,000.
Van Zellers The Rare Port Collection 3 Pack
List Price: $24000.00 Sale $21,120.00
CRISTIANO VAN ZELLER is the 14th generation of a family continuously working in the Douro region since 1620, producing and selling Port and Douro Wines. He has dedicated his life to Port and the Douro region. He recognizes through experience, taste and intuition the quality behind each wine. This knowledge has been acquired together with the many family master blenders (provadores, in portuguese), Cristiano met throughout his life. Through this experience, Cristiano has tasted and crafted exquisite Port blends for over 40 years. The Van Zellers & Co XIX The Rare Port Collection are three unique Ports that Cristiano has found ageing in old cellars in the Douro and has helped keep alive along many years. This is the unveiling of this long liquid history.
The Dry Unfortified Wines of Van Zellers
2023 VAN ZELLERS VZ BRANCO, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $31.50 Sale Price: $27.72
2022 VAN ZELLERS VZ BRANCO, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $31.50 Sale Price: $27.72
2020 VAN ZELLERS VZ BRANCO, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $31.50 Sale Price: $27.72 Quantity in Stock: 4
A blend of a 70 year old vineyard with, Viosinho, Rabigato, Coodega, Gouveio and Arinto.
Van Zellers & Co VZ Douro White is produced with indigenous Douro grapes, found in older vineyards, grown in the Murca district at around 500 m altitude. This wine is Crafted by Hand, which means that the blending is one of the most important parts of winemaking. We blend different vineyards to produce a wine that is fresh, with lemon zest, lemon tree leaves, a hint of floral notes and a mineral mouthfeel. Long and intense, this wine will age beautifully in bottle.
2020 VAN ZELLERS VZ TINTO, DOURO, PORTUGAL
Price: $34.50 Your Price: $30.36
Around 30 different grape varieties, planted in different field blends in vineyards in several areas of the Cima Corgo, in the Douro region.
Van Zellers & Co VZ Douro Red is a wine Crafted by Hand, where the blend of different grapes and vineyards from three main valleys: Torto, Pinhao and Douro. This blend produces a wine that is marked by red fruit aromas, is full-bodied, round and with a long finish.
2020 VAN ZELLERS & CO. Curriculum Vitae Douro Red
Price: $123.00 Sale $108.24
The 2020 CV red is a 3-hectare single vineyard plot that is planted to more than 35 varietals vinified together as a field blend and they still use the foot trodden method to crush the grapes for this wine. A unique bouquet of exotic spices, dried flowers highlighting the raspberry, cherry and plum fruit with black and red licorice spice. Rich and layered on the tongue with lots of everything and in proportion, lovely balance and freshness with a long complex finish echoing the spice and nuances in the nose, a distinct minerality and a good amount of floral and spice along with belle pepper notes through the finish, a big but still balanced wine only 6000 bottles produced annually on average. Finish 50+ Most Excellent
More than 25 different varieties – including Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Donzelinho Tinto, Tinta Francisca, Sousão, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Nacional , among others.
During the life of any winemaker, there are wines and moments that mark our lives, which deserve to remain on our curriculum. This wine is one of them. We called it CV - Curriculum Vitae. Violet, dark red colour, with black currant, black cherries, plums and spices on the nose and an extremely balanced and fine wine with a long fruity finish. Perfect to pair with game meats, veal and pork, grilled, steamed or stewed, with oven baked vegetables or spicier side dishes. Serve at 16oC.
A bit about the Van Zellers
The van Zellers left the Low Countries (Netherlands) due to political and religious reasons. As Catholics, they arrived in Portugal and established themselves in Porto as Port Wine merchants. Through family ties, the van Zellers are linked to the Douro and to the production of its wines since 1620.
Van Zellers & Co was officially established in 1780 and established the first wine trade sea routes between Portugal and the Baltic states, which were part of the Russian Empire at the time, in the 18th Century. In 1811, Van Zellers & Co is considered one of the most prominent Port Wine merchants, exporting yearly over 1000 pipes.
Van Zellers & Co Is Sold By The Family In The Middle Of The 19th Century. The van Zellers remain in the Port Wine business through other companies: Quinta de Roriz and Quinta do Noval. It is at Quinta do Noval that the new generations explore innovative methods in the vineyard and in different styles of Port. These include ungrafted vines, which gave way to the creation to one of the most famous wines in the world: 1931 Noval Nacional Vintage Port; the birth of aged Tawnies (10, 20, 30 and over 40 years old) and Late Bottled Vintage Ports.
Quinta Do Noval Is In The Family For Five Generations. Through Luis Vasconcellos Porto (Cristiano van Zeller’s great-grandfather), acquires Van Zellers Co. Cristiano Van Zeller revives Van Zellers & Co making it an independent company in 1989 - he is the 14th generation of the family in the business. Van Zellers & Co remains in the hands of Cristiano’s cousin, after the sale of Quinta do Noval to Axa Milesime.
Cristiano Van Zeller Is One Of The Douro's Greatest Storytellers And Ambassadors. He Has Helped Pave The Way For A New Douro.
Since 1993, Cristiano has dedicated his life’s work to the production and communication of the Douro’s capacity of producing DOC Douro wines alongside Ports. He was an active player during the early years, bringing to the world’s market the news wines of two Douro estates: Quinta do Crasto and Quinta do Vallado. In 1996, Cristiano and Joana create the brand Quinta Vale D. Maria, after acquiring the estate from Joana’s family. Soon it became one of the leading quality wines in the Douro and Portugal.
In 2003, Cristiano van Zeller and Sandra Tavares da Silva (winemaker at the time) find a very old vineyard, hidden deep into the Torto river valley. To reach it is an adventure on its own, reminding the more imaginative minds of the Indiana Jones challenges. It is north facing with over 20 varieties. The wines resulting from the grapes grown here are extraordinary, something that Sandra and Cristiano felt would enrich their CV-Curriculum Vitae (or resumé). And so, one of the most iconic Portuguese wines was born: CV-Curriculum Vitae Douro Red.
The Douro Boys were founded in 2003 with the common goal to cultivate appreciation for the quality of Douro DOC wines, alongside Ports, around the globe. Over nearly 20 years, the Douro Boys have organized presentations, seminars, tastings and masterclasses, placing the Douro region in the map of the leading wine regions of the world.
The Douro is a region known to produce full-bodied and highly concentrated wines. It was ready to surprise once again, this time with the rising stars being white wines. Cristiano launched his first fresh white wine that soon proved to age as beautifully as some of the world’s best. VZ White Douro DOC was launched with the 2006 vintage using grapes from a very old parcel from higher altitudes with a blend of local varieties.
In 2007, Cristiano receives a phone call from his cousin João. He saw in Cristiano the one to give continuity to the family’s company and offered him the VZ and Van Zellers’ brands as a Christmas gift. Cristiano starts to slowly restock the company with old Port Wine and adds CV – Curriculum Vitae Douro wines to the portfolio.
In 2013, the 15th generation of the family joins the business as Francisca van Zeller, Cristiano and Joana’s eldest child starts working in the marketing and sales department. quickly acquires knowledge of the markets and, at the same time, studies winemaking and viticulture. Her passion still lies in telling stories of the Douro, its people and its wines.
After the sale of Quinta Vale D. Maria to Aveleda S.A. in 2017, Cristiano and Joana can now dedicate all their efforts to Van Zellers & Co. By 2019, the company is stocked with 40% of very old Tawny Ports, 15 hectares of red wine vineyards in the Torto and Pinhão valleys and 1 hectare of white wine vines in Murça.
In 2020, Van Zellers & Co is relaunched to the market with a new branding and a new future. We are a family of permanent reinvention. We witness time being transformed into legacy, knowledge into creativity and passion into wine. In everything we have done and do, we challenge and dare.
WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES, BUT WE BELIEVE OUR WAY BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, LEAVING AN OPEN DOOR TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Our way is all about respect for the Douro, its diversity, tradition and people is what keeps us in the wine trade. Due to our long history producing wines, to the vastness of the region and the number of indigenous grape varieties, each vineyard is a unique terroir. Our goal is to preserve their character, by selecting old vineyards and carefully nurture them. Our way is to show the world the greatness of Douro DOC wines and Ports.
WITH OUR HANDS, WE HAVE CARED FOR THE VINE, PICKED THE GRAPES, SELECTED THE BEST FRUIT AND THEN MADE THE FINAL BLEND.
It all starts with the hand of man, who plants the vine, cares for it and picks its luscious grapes. After vinification, the wine is placed in barrels Each ageing barrel has its own character and will be part of the final blend. The art of blending is what makes wines crafted by hand so unique.
This is the secret behind our aged tawny Ports (Reserve, 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years old) and our red and White wine blends (VZ Douro DOC).
NATURE IS ALIVE, MOVING AND REPRODUCTIVE. NATURE CHANGES AND HAS ITS OWN WAYS. THESE WINES ARE BOTTLED NATURE.
These wines show the unique characteristics of a place and will live in bottle changing throughout time, with a life of its own. The idea of bottling what nature has created is what makes winemaking so exciting. We celebrate nature with our LBV-Late Bottled Vintage, Crusted and Vintage Ports, and with all our single vineyard Douro wines, CVCurriculum Vitae Douro White and Red.
TIME BRINGS WITH IT SOMETHING SURPRISING. IT IS PORTS MOST VALUED ALLY AND WINES’ MOST CHALLENGING PARTNER.
Time helps to mellow down the strength of tannins, the muscle and structure of the wine, the fresh fruit, flower and earthy aromas that a young wine holds. Time adds a touch of surprise, with unexpected tastes and aromas that appear. We celebrate the magic of time with our selection of Old Tawny Colheita Ports and VZ 15 Generations Douro Red.